Cleaning device



A. o. PIEPER CLEANING DEVICE Filed Aug. e, 1954 Feb. 9, 1937.

INVENg'oR yEY Cil

Patented Feb. 9, 1937 PATENT GFFICE CLEANING DEVICE Arthur 0. Pieper,Brighton, N. Y.

ApplicationlAugust 6, 1934, Serial No. 738,641

2 Claims-.-` (Cl. 15- 122) The present invention relates to.,an improvedcleaning .device in the form of a holder or receptacle Within which asuitabledetergent or cleaning agent is placed, whichis intended to seepthrough orfpenetrate one orzmore walls of the holder, constructed vofanylsuitable material oi a porous nature, such, for example, as spongerubber.:

One object of the inventionis lto provide an A#improved `device of thisclass which is of simple construction, eiicient in operation, and onewhich embodies but few parts capable of being conveniently assembled andseparated when desired.

A further object of the `invention is the provvision of animproved-detergent holding receptacle for use as a cleaning device inwhich the walls are formed of complemental sections, detachablyvretainedin assembled relationwith` out the-useof additional securing parts forthe same.

A further vobject of the invention is` the provisionj ofanfiinprovedreceptacle -forth purpose described comprising cooperating lrecessed.l sec tions'inser-ted fone within'another and having in#terengagingportions affordin'gta gripping actionbetween the sectionswherebythey are firmly-held#v in detachable relationthrough lfrictionalfengagew mentof Aone-with another.l

A further object of` the inventionisto provide l ina receptacle of thisclass vcooperating sections,

one -havingreinforcements for strengtheningl the f same`- androne beingyimpervious -ito `liquid While another has .one ormoresof its-walls`formed of porous or cellular. materiali such, vforexample; assponge-rubbenthroughrwhich a liquid or semi# i liquid detergent may bel`permitted to` @seep or escape.: when `rubbingfthe porous portion-of thereceptacleupon` the surface to becleaned.

Toythese and other ends 'theinvention'` resides 1 in certainimprovements and combinations off' Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a similar section with the cover of the receptacle removed;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the base of the holder showing inperspective an inverted end portion of the same, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in perspective illustrating the endconstruction of the base or bottom section of the holder.

The same reference numerals throughout the several views indicate thesameparts.

The present invention embodies a recessed holder for the reception of adetergent or cleansing material which may be in the form of a liquid,semi-liquid, or solid. In the case of the latter, such as a cleaningpowder or cake of soap, the holder or receptacle may be dipped withinWater or other liquid, a certainlproportion of which will enter thereceptacle through the porous walls thereof whereby upon rubbing theholder upon a surface to be cleaned, the resulting lather or liqueedsoap will eiectively cleanse the same. This, of course, will also `betrue where a liqueed soap or other liquid cleansing material` is placedwithin the holder which will escape therefrom when pressure is appliedthereto by the H hand of the operator when rubbing the holder upon thesurface which it is desired to clean. While the device may be used forcleaning various articles, it is particularly adapted for use incleaning windows, bathtubs, sinks, and other articles formed of glass,porcelain, and the like.

Referring to the drawing, the reference characters l0 and il designategenerally the base and cover sections, respectively, of the improvedcleaning device, the former being inserted within the latter as shown inFig. 2 of the drawing.

The entire base section is preferably formed of cellular or porousmaterial such, for example, as sponge rubber, although if preferred itmay be formed of other suitable material.

In l the present disclosure, the skin or rind, forming upon the sectionl0 of the receptacle as a result of the process of manufacture, isremoved from the inner and outer faces of the bottom Wall l2 of thesection to render it pervious l to liquid or the liquefied cleaningmaterial placed within the receptacle.` The surfaces from which the skinhas been removed are indicated bythe stippled surfaces shown in Figs. 5and 6 of the drawing, the surfaces which are not stippled being leftwith the skin or rind intact to render them impervious to the cleaningfluid used within the receptacle or to any liquid coming into contacttherewith,

The cover Il, within which the base or body section I0 extends, ispreferably formed of a good grade of non-porous rubber or other materialimpervious to liquid and having sufficient elasticity to permit it to beslightly stretched i when inserted upon the base whereby to better asshown in Fig. 2. This construction, however,

permits the sections to be readily separated by moving one laterally ofthe other.

While the shape of the receptacle may be varied as desired, it ispreferred to provide the opposite side walls I5 of the bottom section IBwith a plurality of angularly disposed end walls, preferably three ateach end, the two which form a direct continuation of the side wallsbeing designated by the reference character I6, and the Y third orcentrally disposed wall by the reference character Il. Thus the sidewalls are braced by the angularly disposed end walls whereby therigidity of the receptacle is increased in order that it may betterwithstand the pressure applied thereto during the cleaning operations,the construction being such as to prevent collapsing of the receptaclewhen used for the purpose intended.

It will be understood, of course, that the cover section II will conformgenerally to the shape of the body section I0 and will have thecorresponding arrangement of side and end walls shown in Fig. 6.

The bottom section Ill of the receptacle is provided adjacent thegrooves I3 with an outwardly extending flange or lip I8 which serves toincrease the area of the cleaning portion of the base section and whichalso forms a supporting shoulder for the beaded edge I 4 of the coverII, as shown in Fig. 2. This is advantageous since the pressure exertedby the hand of the operator on the cover is transferred directly to thesaid flange whereby the latter will be made more serviceable as a meansfor effecting removal of such dirt particles as tend to cling to thesurfaces to be cleaned, it being understood that the cover section ofthe receptacle is preferably formed of a grade of rubber having greaterresistance to pressure than that of the spongev rubber base and willtherefore tend to urge the bottom or edge portion of said flange intoengagement with the surfaces to be cleaned.

Furthermore by positioning the flange of the base and the enlargedbeaded portion of the cover in juxtaposed relation, the rigidity of thereceptacle is increased at the proper point and the more or lessflexible side walls of the sponge rubber section will be correspondinglyrelieved of the pressure which would otherwise be applied thereto. f

' grip the walls of the latter, thus insuring its re- The cover sectionI I of the receptacle or holder is provided at its corners withthickened wall portions l 9, Fig. 3, which serve to increase therigidity of the section whereby it will better hold its shape andwithstand the pressure applied thereto by the hand of the operator whengripping and using the holder from time to time.

The bottom wall I2 of the base has its corner portions rounded asindicated at 2li, said portions preferably forming seats for the loweredges of the thickened wall portions I9 of the cover and conforminggenerally to the shape or contour of said thickened wall portions.

It will be understood that with the cover II in closed position, asshown in Fig. 2, the receptacle will be liquid-tight, except for theporous wall I2 of the bottom section I0, from the opposite faces ofwhich the skin or rind has been having exteriorly formed groovestherein, and a cover section for said hollow section formed ofsubstantially rigid material impervious to liquid, said cover sectionincluding side walls surrounding the side walls of the hollow section,the peripheral edge portion of the cover section engaging the flange ofthe hollow section and serving to urge said flange in engagement withthe sur-V face to be cleaned when pressure is applied to the coversection in the direction of said flange, said cover section havingbead-like portions on its side walls extending within the grooves of theside walls of the hollow section by which the cover section is retainedon the hollow section.

2. A cleaning device of the class described comprising a substantiallyrectangular hollow section formed of sponge rubber and including abottom wall and upstanding side and end walls, said bottom wall having aflange extending laterally from the side and end walls, andY a coversection for said hollow section formed of sub- Y ARTHUR O. PIEPER.

